England's Maggie Alphonsi tasted World Cup at the third time of asking – and
says Stuart Lancaster's side must believe in their ability to do the same
next year

England’s multi-garlanded flanker, Maggie Alphonsi, MBE, has urged her male counterparts to seize the moment as they prepare for their own World Cup campaign on home soil at Twickenham in just over 12 months’ time.

Alphonsi, who had been on the losing side in two previous World Cup finals before claiming a winner’s medal on Sunday with a typically tough-tackling bravura performance in England’s 21-9 victory against Canada in Paris, stressed the need for the men to have complete faith in their ability.

“If there is one thing that I have learned from being in three World Cup finals is that you have to have total belief in each other,” said Alphonsi, back to her domineering best after 20 months sidelined with knee injury complications.

“You have got to back yourself, have no doubts about what you are doing, and go for broke. We were a bit hesitant at times in the early stages of the tournament but once we got to the semi-finals we told each other that we had to really have a crack it at, to leave nothing behind and trust ourselves that we could get the job done.

Stuart Lancaster, the England head coach, and Chris Robshaw, the captain, both sent messages of support to the women’s squad with Lancaster in Paris in person for the final on Sunday night.

“You just hope that this can be a catalyst for everyone in the sport,” said Alphonsi, who has been the most recognisable figure in the game for the last decades until injury threatened to derail her career but she was determined to make a third World Cup final.

“I tore the cartilage in my knee and it took ages to get back. I effectively missed two seasons. But I had to make this tournament after two failed attempts at landing the trophy. I was in danger of becoming something of an unlucky charm.”

Alphonsi, 30, has won numerous gongs, among other things becoming the first and only female ever to win the prestigious Par Marshall Award from the Rugby Writers’ Club, beating All Black captain, Richie McCaw to the title. “This is the best day of my career,” she said.

“I know I have had a few achievements personally but there is nothing to top the feeling of doing it with team-mates. The women’s game has grown so much since I have been playing, achieved a profile that none of us would have believed possible. Even if this campaign is over, the journey is not.

“We have got credibility in the wider world of sport now with this victory. This has to be the springboard to even more things.”